Life with Debra K

I’m writing this with chili simmering on the stove and rain at the window, the kind of weather that makes you pause and think about what’s next. So here it is: I've just become a travel advisor with Fora Travel, and somehow, it feels like everything I’ve been doing has led me right here.🌧️ Chili, Rain, and What’s AheadRight now, it’s Halloween, and for the first time ever, it’s raining.Growing up in Alaska, I was used to snow (and freezing temperatures!) on Halloween, and honestly, snow is much easier to handle than rain. So wish me luck as I juggle candy bags, a stroller, and try to stay dry!(Debra from the future here: We did survive Halloween. Lucky for us it only rained during the first part of trick-or-treating and then stopped for the much longer 2nd half. We were able to come home, throw the wet clothes and costumes into the dryer, and eat some nice warm chili! And the boys still scored enough candy 🍬)And while the rain falls outside, I’ve been thinking a lot about the things starting to take shape. After giving myself permission to rest, to just be fallow for a bit, I feel ready to start creating again.It’s funny that this is all happening as we head into winter, but the timing feels right. The ideas are sprouting.🌱✈️ Part One: Becoming a Travel AdvisorI’m officially a travel advisor with Fora Travel, a new kind of travel agency that has been incredible to work with.And yes, I can already hear the question: You just finished a doctorate, and now you’re a travel advisor?It makes perfect sense, I promise.My doctoral research explored transformational learning through travel, the kind that changes how we see ourselves and the world. Now, I get to help others experience that same sense of discovery.So whether you’re dreaming about Italy, planning a family getaway, or mapping out an adventure somewhere new, I’d love to help. Fora has an amazing network and a huge resource library, and if I don’t know something yet, I’ll find out.If you’re planning a trip, big or small,👉 Plan your trip with me through Fora TravelLet’s make your next trip unforgettable…meaningful, seamless, and designed around you.🌍 Part Two: Bringing Back the Virtual ToursThis part feels especially close to my heart.For my doctoral research, I created an online virtual tour of Benin to see whether transformational learning could happen in a digital space. And it did, beautifully. Through storytelling, shared reflection, and real cultural moments, people walked away changed.Now, I’m bringing those tours back for:✨ Travelers preparing to visit West Africa✨ People who are curious about Benin and what life is like there✨ Anyone who wants to explore culture and connection from homeThe Virtual Tour of Benin will relaunch in December, and I’ll be sharing details soon.If that sounds like something you’d love to experience,👉 Join the Virtual Tour of Benin WaitlistBe the first to experience Benin through story, culture, and reflection…all from home!🌿 Part Three: Building Hello West AfricaAnd finally, the big one: Hello West Africa, the tourism business I’ve dreamed of building for years.It’s happening. Slowly, carefully, but it’s happening.The plan is to create a 12-day tour of Benin, starting in Cotonou and ending near our home in Dassa. Guests will experience a taste of city life, explore cultural and historical sites, and then settle into the rhythm of daily village life, sharing meals, stories, and connections.Our home in Benin will be the heart of it all. It needs a few renovations and additions to welcome guests, and we’re currently looking to raise about $300,000 in initial capital for construction, solar power, and hospitality spaces.I’m working with the Small Business Administration in Bellingham, as well as some amazing mentors that I’ve gained throughout the years. Honestly, if you are ever starting up a new business, I would highly recommend looking up your local SBA. The support is fantastic!💫 How It All ConnectsBecoming a travel advisor helps me understand what travelers are looking for.The virtual tours incorporate storytelling and reflection, giving people the opportunity to discover West Africa without leaving home.And Hello West Africa ties everything together, creating in-person transformational travel that builds understanding and connection across cultures.A couple of newsletters ago, I was uncertain.Now, I feel grounded and excited.There’s still a lot to figure out, but this is the space where I thrive…forward is a pace, as they say in the running world. I’m so happy to be back in my element!☕ Until Next TimeThanks for reading and being here with me as I share this new season with all of you!If you enjoyed this, consider sharing it with a friend who loves travel or transformation. That’s how this little community grows.Until next time, Get full access to Life with Debra K at debrakouda.substack.com/subscribe

So, I had this realization the other day. I was just sitting at my desk and looked up at the bulletin board I keep above my computer, still full of notes from my doctoral days, and there it was, the ten phases of transformational learning proposed by Jack Mezirow in his Transformative Learning Theory glaring right at me.And then I had a lightbulb 💡 moment. Wow, I’m right in the middle of the last two phases:Phase 9: Building Competence and Confidence — gaining confidence as new behaviors or thoughts become more familiar.Phase 10: Reintegration — adapting the new perspective into one’s life, making it part of how you think or act regularly.Now, these phases don’t necessarily happen in order, but the research says they’re the hardest ones to go through. And let me tell you, the research is right, because I’m living it right now.So I thought, well, maybe I should talk this out. Because that’s what I do. And maybe some of you are in these phases too, in your own way, even if you’ve never named them.For those who don’t know, transformational learning has basically been my life for the last two years. It’s what I studied, it’s what I researched, it’s what I lived while doing my doctorate. And when I look back, I can actually see myself moving through the phases, not in a straight line, but hitting those different moments that Mezirow and his colleagues outlined. And now? Now I’m stuck…or maybe just sitting…in reintegration.Reintegration is where you’re supposed to take all the knowledge, all the perspective shifts, all the growth, and weave it into your actual life. Not your academic papers or your dissertation, but your real, everyday life. The one with kids, with work, with bills, with everything else you’re carrying. And honestly? Easier said than done. It sounds straightforward when you read it in theory: take what you’ve learned and apply it.But living it. Living it is another thing entirely.And I think that’s where support matters most. In my research, I found this over and over again: you need people. You need community. You need some kind of space to process, because otherwise it’s just you, floating around with this big identity shift that you don’t quite know what to do with. And I can’t help but wonder, what if higher ed actually focused on that? Not just delivering knowledge or handing you a diploma, but walking with you through this messy reintegration stage.When I started my program, my focus was clear, or at least I thought it was. I was going to change the educational system in Benin. That was it. I had a plan. I imagined creating an organization that could support students, teachers, and communities. I thought this degree would give me the skills to make it happen. But as I went through the program, things shifted. My focus shifted. I became more interested in the process itself, in how transformational learning works, because I realized it’s not just something that happens in a classroom. It happens in life. It happens when you move to a new country, or when you homeschool your kids, or when you take on a role you never imagined you’d have. It happens all the time.And the funny thing is, most of us don’t even realize it when it’s happening. Unless we name it, we can’t see it clearly. But once you do see it, once you say, “Oh, that’s what this is,” it changes everything.Now, here’s where it gets personal. My doctoral program was completely online. I never set foot in the Mary Lou Fulton School at Arizona State University. I never met my professors in person. I was lucky enough to meet two of my classmates, but I only knew the others through Zoom. And when it all wrapped up, when I defended my dissertation, made my revisions, submitted the final copy…that was it. Done.No graduation ceremony for me, by choice. No closure. Just… over.And frankly? It felt like being dropped off a cliff. One day, I was deep in edits and revisions, living and breathing my dissertation. The next day, silence. Sure, I got the surveys asking, “What did you think of the program? What are you doing now?” But that was it. No one checked in to ask, “Hey, how are you navigating this new identity?” No one said, “How’s reintegration going?” It was more like, “Congratulations, Doctor. Good luck out there.”And that’s tough. Because, as Dan Butin (2010) explains in The Education Dissertation: A Guide for Practitioner Scholars, which we read in our first semester:“Now complete, your dissertation process allows you to sail off on a very different kind of journey” (p. 148).That journey is one that involves those last two phases of transformational learning, and it’s a phrase I certainly did not fully understand until the degree was in my hand and the dissertation was finished.Now, let me back up for a minute, because there was one thing that made my program doable. And that was community. Around my second semester, January of 2022, I joined what we ended up calling the Goldilocks Community of Practice. This was a little group of us who just found each other, and we decided to meet twice a week. We did homework together, we had real discussions, and we supported each other. We even recorded some of our sessions to submit as assignments. And that community gave me what the official program didn’t.But here’s the thing. Once we all graduated, the goal was gone. The whole reason we were meeting, to get through the doctorate together, disappeared. And people started trickling away. Some went back to their jobs. Some leaned into the degree for promotions or leadership roles. And that makes sense…life keeps moving. But the community lost its center. A few of us still talk, but it’s not the same. And the wheels started turning in my head: what if universities created something like that, but official? What if support communities continued after graduation, so reintegration wasn’t something you had to stumble through alone?Because reintegration is not automatic. It’s emotional. It’s confusing. Some people step into it easily; they’re ready to claim the “Doctor” title and run with it. Others, like me, wrestle with it. I still find myself asking: What do I actually do with this degree? How do I live into this identity? Where do I take my ideas so they don’t just sit in a notebook?And I’ll be honest: it can feel really lonely. I don’t work in a university. I don’t have an academic community around me. I homeschool my kids, I manage a household, and I work on entrepreneurial projects. I’ve been called a thought leader, which is flattering, but also frustrating, because there’s no map. I have ideas that I know could be useful, ideas about education and transformation and community, but finding a place where those ideas can grow? That’s the part where I’m stuck.And if I’m being really honest here, online programs don’t help with that. Sometimes they feel like a numbers game. Load up the students, get them through the modules, and hand out the diplomas. In-person programs naturally create connections because you’re in the same room, bumping into people in hallways, and grabbing coffee after class. Online? None of that happens unless someone builds it on purpose.And most programs don’t. Most rely on the learning management system, the LMS, to do the work. But an LMS isn’t built for connection, or at least the ones that I have been a part of have not. It’s built to organize content, keep the grades in one place, host the modules, and track the assignments. That’s it. And yet outside academia, in the world of professional courses and the creator space, communities are popping up everywhere. It’s where people gather, where they stay motivated, where the learning actually sticks. Why hasn’t higher ed caught up?Through all my time in the online education space, I’ve come to believe that online programs should be harder to design than in-person ones, because connection doesn’t happen naturally online; it has to be created. And yet so many are designed the exact opposite. If universities really cared about transformational learning, they’d invest in that. They’d make community the centerpiece, not an afterthought.Without it, you end up with students like me: graduating, sitting in phases nine and ten, feeling a little lost, a little frustrated, and a lot alone.So maybe that’s where my work is now. Maybe I need to create the kind of community I wish I had. Because transformational learning doesn’t end when you get the diploma. That’s actually when it begins. That’s when you have to figure out how to carry those new perspectives, those new ways of seeing the world, into your actual life.And no one should have to do that alone. Get full access to Life with Debra K at debrakouda.substack.com/subscribe

Ahh presentations…I absolutely love giving presentations. Everything that is involved in the process of creating an engaging, interesting, and informative presentation.When did this fascination with presentations begin? I know that I have always enjoyed being in front of a group of people, singing or acting. Okay, I haven’t done that much acting, but a much younger me spent many nights belting out lyrics to Disney movies and Broadway plays (I’m sure that my family could vouch for me!). While it might sound a bit vain, I like to hear my voice, which is one reason I love recording the audio or podcast version of this newsletter. Plus, the more important fact of providing another option for folks to listen to my content.I suppose if I had to pinpoint when my interest in putting presentations together really began, it would be during my freshman year at Oregon State University in the required communications course. The final project was an oral presentation, no slide decks then, to the small class about a topic you were passionate about. I chose the ever-confrontational issue of banning books. I remember looking at my notes and presenting to the class, moving my hands in the air. I was hooked. From that time forward, I relish every time I have the opportunity to make a presentation.One of my favorite presentations that I gave was in a job interview to work at Apple. Man, I worked hard on the slides. I watched numerous Apple Keynotes and even designed my own app icon graphics. What a blast it was! Sadly, while my communications skills were top-notch, my technical skills were slightly below what they were looking for. Nonetheless, the experience was awesome!Maybe you have guessed, but for this week’s edition, I have decided to share my dissertation defense presentation with you. While there are some of you who might be curious about my research, I have yet to finish up a short synopsis to share. The next best thing, and especially because it has pictures, is the presentation that I made for the defense. I have recorded this using Loom, and while my real defense had animations included, this version does not. For those of you listening to the audio, I have included a link to the presentation in the show notes if you happen to be outside of Substack.Transformative Learning Through Virtual Tourism: Exploring Africa in the Digital Space - Watch VideoSo go ahead, pour yourself a cup of coffee, steep a cup of tea, or drink an ice-cold fizzy drink as you settle in for my dissertation defense presentation…complete with slides, stories, and plenty of heart.Thanks for sticking with me and my stories!Cheers… Get full access to Life with Debra K at debrakouda.substack.com/subscribe

Hello Dr. Debra Kouda 👋🎉After 4 years, I finally made it through the process of earning a Doctorate of Education in Leadership and Innovation from Arizona State University! Hooray!You better believe that when my dissertation was uploaded into ProQuest to be published I felt like this!One of the major highlights of my research dissertation, Transformative Learning through Virtual Tourism: Exploring West Africa in the Digital Space, was the importance of reflection as a mechanism for change. This is exactly what I have been doing for the last few weeks since finishing this momentous undertaking. Reflecting. And I thought I would share some of those reflections with you - aren’t you lucky!(Note: this reflection ended up being much longer than I anticipated. But that is what the whole point of reflection is, isn’t it? I wrote about where my thoughts took me. If it seems like a lot to read, I encourage you to push play on the audio version above!)We might as well start at the beginning. Throughout the four years and even more now, people have been curious as to why I pursued a doctoral degree in the first place.I can provide this answer to you firsthand with my voice from four years ago when we had to introduce ourselves via a short video in one of the first graduate courses. This was the prompt:Post a 2- to 3- minute video in the discussion boardInclude the following:* Give your name, current position and the topic of interest that you have been developing.* Tell us one interesting fact about yourself that will help everyone learn about and remember you.* Identify one thing you hope to gain in the class. Be specific about areas where you would like to improve your research skills (i.e., strategies for reading, writing, organizing, integrating research.)And here was my response - it will take 2 minutes of your time:If you did not feel like watching the video, here is a brief synopsis. My pie-in-the-sky goal was to completely overhaul the education system in Benin, and one of the first milestones I set for myself was to create a center for innovation, research, and practice. However, I realized that I lacked the theory, research, and leadership skills necessary to pull this off in a sustainable way. My initial curiosities were around the indigenous knowledge and history of education in Benin before colonialism. Looking back, I think a lot of this goal centered on wanting to create more jobs and economic development within the region that we call home in Benin. This is something to remember as you keep reading.Side note here: My intro video intrigued a couple of my classmates in my cohort, and they tried to reach out to learn more. I ignored those initial emails. Did not even respond. However, I eventually realized that was a bit rude, and the single best thing that I did during the last four years was attend a Zoom call at the beginning of my second semester put together by those colleagues whom I had ghosted previously. That first call led to a second and then our little group, known as the Goldilocks Community of Practice, met twice a week for the rest of the four years. This all happened organically. It was not required by the program. But it was with this group of people that I learned more than in any of the courses. We worked on assignments together, had discussions about tough topics, helped each other through amazing and difficult times with our research, and so much more that words just can’t encapsulate. As I wrote in my dissertation acknowledgments, they made me a better person, researcher, leader, and innovator. If you are thinking about doing a doctoral program, especially one that is entirely done online, I could not recommend finding a group of people to go through it with together. It changes absolutely everything.I also should mention that I am mainly focusing on my dissertation here, but along with this, I took two to three graduate-level courses each semester, including summer, for the last four years.Within the doctoral program, we went through 3 cycles of action research. The beauty of action research as a methodology is that it is cyclical and involves ongoing iterations to find solutions and address practical problems. Action research is also rooted in its context, which makes it perfect for education. As you will see from my research questions in the first two cycles, I was primarily trying to remain in the vein of the initial purpose of my doctoral studies. I’m sure you would be very interested in seeing the results from the data, however, I’m just going to highlight the RQs.Cycle 0 (Spring 2022)Problem of Practice: My problem of practice is concerned with improving education in Benin by drawing upon the Indigenous education frameworks of the 42 ethnic groups who have served as the foundation of The Republic of Benin.Purpose of the Study:From the knowledge extracted from a previous set of interviews, I will create a series of virtual professional development workshops for teachers including,* how to incorporate Indigenous frameworks into their teaching practices;* how teachers can use reflection to enhance their use of Indigenous teaching frameworks in their classrooms.Research QuestionsThe following research questions will guide the conduct of the study.RQ 1: How and to what extent does implementation of “Project Indigenous Teaching Frameworks” affect teacher participants’ perceptions of their (a) knowledge about and (b) skills for implementing Indigenous teaching practices with their students?RQ 2: How and to what extent does implementation of “Project Indigenous Teaching Frameworks” affect teacher participants’ perceptions of their (a) attitudes about and (b) self-efficacy for implementing Indigenous teaching practices with their students?Cycle 1 (Fall 2022)For this cycle of research, it would have been ideal for me to travel to Benin, however, it was not possible. So I had to make a few changes and look at my questions differently to try and gather some new data that would still have an impact on my problem of practice from Cycle 0.Research QuestionsRQ 1: How does a Participatory Action Research approach during an onboarding process influence the knowledge gathering of indigenous teaching methods?RQ 2: How does the development of a Community of Practice (CoP) affect the decisions and self-efficacy of the participants to incorporate their indigenous teaching methods to enhance the solutions of community-based problems?Spring of 2023 brought about our placements into a Learning Scholar Community (LSC), which grouped four or five of us with a professor mentor who would become the chair of our dissertation committee and work with us to get our dissertation finished. Due to some coercing from our little Community of Practice, for the first time in the history of the program, we - as doctoral students - had input into who we wanted to be in an LSC with. I have to say, we were pretty proud of this little achievement. We were a teeny bit rebellious in this group, at least, that is what we thought the rumors might have been around the in-person staff. Anyhow, this is the semester that I was introduced to my mentor and we started working toward putting together my doctoral proposal.Now, throughout this time, I had been trying to get the educational center, which I had decided to call Ékodjayé off the ground. There had been a couple of investor pitches that I had made as well as speaking with numerous other folks who had begun non-profits. A colleague of mine in the program set me up to speak with one of his friends who had been an investor for many years, just to see if there were any tips or suggestions that I could glean from his knowledge. I explained to him the purpose of the educational center and my why behind doing it (economic development with our community in Benin), and he asked one very important question which I still have engrained in my memory…When people finish with your educational programs, will they have a job waiting for them?The question stopped me cold. The answer was no. I had not thought that far. But you know the saying, when one door closes…and I started to think of ideas that would include the important element of a job. And then it hit me. Tourism. Although my husband and I started a tourism company in February 2020, it had a tough time getting wings due to the pandemic. What if we were to rebrand and start over? Now the question of how could I incorporate this into my doctoral research began percolating.Over the years, I have taken trips abroad that have led me to some pretty incredible transformational experiences, working with cheetahs in Namibia and volunteering in Peace Corps to name a few. The hardest part for me always was coming back “home”, surrounded by friends and family who did not understand the experience I had just had or why my perspectives and worldviews had changed. I believe this is fairly common with returned Peace Corps volunteers, and after my service was up, I stayed in contact with fellow volunteers just to have the support to return to the “normal” world. And there was always some part of me that was curious as to how I could help those at “home” understand. In a way, it is somewhat selfish, because I wanted to expand my community on who I could talk to about those experiences and for them to have somewhat of an idea about what I was talking about and why my views were the way they were.In May of 2023, I broached the idea to my mentor that I was seriously thinking about changing my dissertation topic. Not only did my original problem of practice not solve a problem that I was keen on having an impact on, I was having a hard time piecing it together in a way that made sense to me. And this was a big realization. You have to be 100% in on the topic that you are going to be researching because it will be your life for the next few years - so if it was seeming difficult to find the right research questions and intervention for the study now, it mean

Hello, and I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because I feel like I am an executive chef in my private kitchen. The hustle and bustle of timing everything just right to be ready for the determined mealtime is my jam. This year, my Mom and I decided to do a bit of prep work the day before Thanksgiving, and let me tell you, that is the way to go! Thanksgiving this year was relaxed and not rushed - and the bag for the turkey didn’t have a hole burned in it like last year so that was a blessing!If you are wondering what I mean by “bag for the turkey” - Reynolds makes these amazing large oven-safe bags that fit everything from a chicken, to a ham, to a 20-pound turkey. All you do is throw in a tablespoon of flour (so the bag doesn’t explode), place in your turkey, close the bag, place a few holes in the top of the bag, and place it in the oven. Just like that. No basting the turkey, just letting it cook until the appropriate temperature. The turkey comes out moist, with all the juices contained so that you can make an amazing turkey gravy!Has anyone reading this ever used a turkey bag? I tell you, you will never go back once you do!My evenings were spent working on a variety of different things - mainly on the computer. And while I was working, I observed my 10-year-old make stop-motion videos with his Lego Avengers. He patiently snapped photo after photo, moved each piece, and then we turned it into a mini-movie on Canva. My 7-year-old sat behind me, my little “editor” I called him. Thought I’d share the first finished video with you here:A new month also means a new wallpaper for my computer desktop. A sort of goals and vision board for the month. Most of the time it looks like a crowded collage, but this time, I just needed something simple. Also, the last couple of months have had my research questions plastered right on them. Very handy to have those front and center instead of always having to search for them! Although, honestly by now, I probably should know them by heart!Speaking of my dissertation, that has been taking up a lot of my free time lately. I completed my data collection in the middle of October, and have since then been analyzing the qualitative data. And wow, I underestimated how long it would take to do that. For some reason, I thought that it would be super duper easy. Well, they call it a doctorate for a reason I guess! It has been very interesting, and so far, I am very happy with the results that are turning up. Now it's time to get down to the brass tacks - and get some serious writing done. Well, maybe not too serious. This research has been so much fun for me. I need to carry that feeling into the writing phase!Although really, when are doctoral dissertations going to be more than a massive chapter-based paper that very few people will read? There were a lot of us going into this doctoral program who wanted to do something “innovative” for our dissertations. But somehow, we are all doing the standard five-chapter paper. Tradition? Probably. But I could think of 100 different ways to present the information that would be way more interesting than a paper. Couldn’t you?And, of course, you know that I’ve launched Collab des Collines, a tour company offering both online and in-person experiences. Over the years, you’ve heard me talk about Benin, and now I’d be honored to take you there—virtually! On January 6, 2025, I’ll be leading an interactive, four-week online tour of Benin, where we’ll explore its rich culture, vibrant history, and daily life—all from the comfort of home…without the jet lag! ✈️😴Here are the basics:🗓️ Dates: January 6 – February 1, 2025 (we meet twice a week)💻 Where: Online, so you can join from anywhere!💰 Cost: $297🎟️ There are only 7 spots left!I even have a special offer where you can invite a friend at a reduced price—perfect for that one person who’s impossible to shop for! Or maybe you just watched the Netflix documentary Buy Now! The Shopping Conspiracy and are on the hunt for more meaningful gift options?Anyhow, I am just very excited about my new adventures and that I have people to share the news with! So thank you for continuing to be a part of this community 🙂.The weather here has Jack Frost visiting the last couple of nights - crisp mornings. I hope that all of you enjoy the beginning of the holiday season!Stay warm!Debra Get full access to Life with Debra K at debrakouda.substack.com/subscribe

Hello again!I hope this message finds you well and as excited as I am! If you read my last email, you know that big changes are underway—and today, I’m here to talk about the biggest one:✨ Collab des Collines is officially launching this Black Friday! ✨Imagine traveling to a country you’ve never visited, immersing yourself in its vibrant culture, learning from locals, and discovering traditions that have been passed down for generations—all from the comfort of your home.This is not your typical online course or virtual event. It’s a revolutionary four-week online tour of Benin, guided by me—a Beninese American with over 16 years of experience and a deep, personal connection to the country. I’ll be your guide, sharing not just the sights and sounds, but the heart and soul of Benin.Here’s what you can expect:🌍 Authentic Expertise: Gain a deeper understanding of Benin’s rich culture and history through the eyes of someone who has lived it.🎭 Immersive Cultural Experiences: Virtually visit bustling markets, learn ancient traditions, and peek into the daily lives of locals.📚 Interactive Learning: Engage with local guides, guest speakers, and a community of curious participants.🧘‍♀️ Personal Growth: Reflect on your journey through thoughtfully designed activities that encourage transformation.💻 Convenient & Transformative: All you need is a device connected to the internet to embark on this life-changing adventure!And here’s the best part:Spots are limited to ensure an intimate, engaging experience—and as a subscriber, you have early access to our exclusive 10% discount for Black Friday!🌟 Use code BLACKFRIDAY10 at checkout and secure your spot on the waitlist.📅 The first tour begins the week of January 6, 2025. Why not make this your first adventure of the new year?Wishing you an enjoyable holiday season!More soon — and stay warm!Debra Get full access to Life with Debra K at debrakouda.substack.com/subscribe

Imagine this scenario:You woke up at the usual early morning time to head to your busy, highly political job in Washington DC. Per weekday habits, you get all of your things together and walk to the metro on the Red Line, looking around and observing the world around you as it is before the times of iPhones and Blackberries. Your ticket gets sucked through the ticket taker and you make sure to grab it before the big gust of wind you feel sweeps it away. Arriving on the platform, you wrap your scarf around your neck an extra time so that you don’t freeze before the train arrives. Lucky for you, you are at the end, or the beginning depending on how you look at it, of the Red Line, so you can have the seat of your choosing. You take to your usual place on the train, a seat in between the automatic closing doors, and breathe a sigh of relief, looking forward to closing your eyes for a quick snooze on the way to the city.As soon as your eyes close, you notice that someone sits down next to you, which is inevitable on this busy metro line. But sometimes you get lucky and have at least one or two stops to yourself. You peek open one eye and notice it is a young lady with a messenger bag and headphones over her ears. Now, please remember reader, that these are the days before fancy AirPods or high-quality inner-ear headphones. These were the Sony Walkman Stereo headphones with the fluffy soft cover that sits on top of the ears - and no, not Bose or AirPods Max. These particular “old-school” headphones are attached to a portable CD player that is conveniently hidden in the young lady’s bag. Now, here is the deal with these headphones. Unknown to the young lady, who thought that what she could hear on her headphones only went to her ears, if she turned the volume up loud enough, anyone around her nearby would be able to enjoy what she was listening to.The metro starts moving forward and the young lady settles into her seat, closing her eyes as well, probably relishing the extra twenty minutes she has to sleep just like you. The beauty of living in DC is you never know who you are going to sit next to. The first few minutes of the ride are quiet and normal as usual, and then you start to hear the faint sound of an orchestra playing. You look over at the young lady sitting next to you and see that she is motioning her hands, if ever so slightly as if she were the conductor of an orchestra. Soon, the sound of the music goes through your ears and you are transported onto the Black Pearl, the ship from the most recent Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom movie. The music is coming from the young lady’s headphones. The young lady has no idea that anyone can hear what has become her favorite music as of late. She is really into this as you watch her head move to the music, a smile forming on her face. Well, it could be worse you say to yourself. You grin, close your eyes again, and enjoy the music as you head into your busy job. Maybe I’ll get a portable CD player you think…but with better headphones of course.If you haven’t guessed already, the young woman in this imaginary scenario is me. And this scene was not imaginary. This happened almost daily while I interned at the National Zoo in Washington DC my first year out of college. I was living with my aunt and uncle at the time near the last stop of the Red Line for the DC Metro. And just as the scenario suggests, I had absolutely no idea that anyone could hear what I was listening to on my portable CD player, the Sony Discman (car ready of course to avoid lots of skips). I have always loved movie scores, and when Pirates of the Caribbean came out, the score quickly went to the top as one of my favorites. I would turn up the volume of the score, imagining myself conducting the orchestra that made The Pirates of the Caribbean come to life.A few months ago, I saw someone using a pair of the old-style headphones listening to music, and as I got closer, I realized that I could hear - very clearly I might add - all of the music that the person was listening to. I was immediately taken back to my time in DC riding the metro, and realized, at that moment, that anyone sitting in my general vicinity while I was listening to my music had the opportunity to travel into the movie scores along with me. I just laughed to myself. No one ever said anything to me, but looking back, I hope that what I wrote above is what people thought. Maybe I made one or two people smile on the way to or from work.Oh, and by the way, I still conduct my own imaginary orchestras while listening to movie scores. My favorite as of late has been Portals by Alan Silvestri from Avengers End Games. Take a listen…I’m sure at the end you will feel like a Super Hero. And if you raise your hands to conduct the orchestra - it’s okay. You’re not the only one! 🎶 Get full access to Life with Debra K at debrakouda.substack.com/subscribe

You know what will always be amazing to me?Receiving donations to help a cause that you have put together 🙂A close second is seeing a moose 🫎 or the Northern Lights - never gets old!This past week we received donations to help Jean and his family. If you missed that story, you can read about it here.And so, we have started the work on our end.You would think that after all this time we would have figured out the best way to send money internationally. But let me tell you - it is so difficult…and costly. Western Union is reliable, and instead of going digital, we sent it via human interaction and ended up paying an arm and a leg for it. The amount that they take off the top during the exchange of currency is just ridiculous. About a month ago we were scammed while making a transaction through Moneygram and are still working to get our money back. If anyone has any better ideas on how to send money internationally, I am all ears!Anyhoo…back to the matter at hand. We have purchased the motorcycle and helmet for the papa to restart his job as a taxi motorcycle driver, and we presented it to him yesterday.The motorcycle that we purchased is imported from Nigeria, and thanks to higher custom fees, the price of the motos (what we tend to call them in Benin), has gone up as well. Just like gas prices here in the US! Nonetheless, these are fantastic motos, with an extra long seat that is comfortable for any passenger (or passengers!). You can’t resist smiling when you see the joy on his face when the moto was given to him.We found an apartment for the family to live in and paid six months upfront, as well as the deposit, etc. The space is tiny, but there is an indoor shower, and it is at a price point that they will be able to afford for now. During these next 6 months we will help them get in the habit of saving money so that with time, they can move into a larger apartment. Currently, we are waiting for the landlord to repair the floor. After that, we plan to paint the interior of the apartment before the family moves in.And, I found out today, that they have already enrolled one of their daughters back into school! All because they know that they will now have the means to pay the school fees with his income as a taxi moto driver.We are now working on giving the mother funds to restart her fruit commerce business, as well as providing them with some furniture and a small cooking stove.If you're passionate about making a meaningful difference and want to be a part of transforming this family's life, reach out to me to contribute to this incredible opportunity! I am so happy to be able to share this story with you as it unfolds, and together, we can uplift and support them on their journey to a brighter future.The DoctorateOn the research/doctorate front, I have started the process of submitting the study to the ASU Institutional Review Board (IRB), the group that makes sure research is conducted ethically.During the first semester of my doctoral program, we read a book by Dan Butin who had some wonderful ways of understanding the differences between the process and the journey of a Doctorate of Education student. First off, there are three very distinct phases within the process that one must go through to finish. By way of the image below, I am in the Preparation Stage, Step 5 (Submit IRB - upon proposal approval).The transition into a practitioner scholar is a profound journey. Honestly, this particular aspect hasn’t been addressed much within our program classes - but it includes a huge identity shift - one that comes easy to some and not so easy to others. It's a phase where your relationship with your professors evolves into one of collegiality, shedding the student label. There is a change in how you view the world and approach issues. It becomes about a certain way of thinking about a problem and the steps and research that you will take to try and find a solution. Butin (2019) boldly calls this a “certain kind of intellectual swagger” (p. 148), which I can totally get behind. I mean, that line would make a fantastic t-shirt!We talk a lot about this transition within the little Community of Practice (CoP) that meets twice a week, when we can…what’s up to my Goldilocks crew??!! Because while we understand what we have gone through, it is hard to explain it to someone who hasn’t. Which coincidentally is what a part of my dissertation is about.Now, I’m not sure how many of you have read a doctoral dissertation. I had only read a handful, and most of them were because I was assigned to in class! So, I have decided to share my dissertation proposal with you in chunks starting next week. Remember that I am going for a Doctorate of Education, so my dissertation might look different from a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) dissertation, or other doctoral programs out there.And, as I have received this question before, even though I will receive a Doctorate of Education, my interests and research do not lie within the K-12 or Higher Education systems. I am looking at education that happens outside of a classroom in non-traditional learning environments.BlueyIf you have not jumped on the Bluey train - I highly suggest it! Your entire outlook on the day will change after 8 minutes of this wonderful Australian cartoon 🙂(If it doesn’t change for the better - send me a message!)Thanks again for all the support and have a wonderful week!DebraAlso…FYI…Spotify has audiobooks! If you have their premium membership you basically have Audible at your fingertips!Kouda's News is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.TODAY’S PICKS…what I would share if we were chatting at the water cooler 💦📖  READING …The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk & listening to Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson🎧  LISTENING …Marketplace Podcast…and the Rich Roll Podcast where Rich speaks with Jonathan Haidt On How Social Media is Rewiring Childhood🎶  MUSIC …the playlist from Bluey, and the latest Justin Timberlake album (his show at the NPR Tiny Desk was awesome!)▶️. WATCHING …rewatched Ted Lasso on AppleTV. Be a goldfish my friends. Be a goldfish 🎏…and BELIEVE.Butin, Dan. The Education Dissertation: A Guide for Practitioner Scholars (p. 148). SAGE Publications. Kindle Edition. Get full access to Life with Debra K at debrakouda.substack.com/subscribe

Long timeIt has been way too long since I have posted to this newsletter. I am sure that you are all on pins and needles about what is going on in our lives!I’ll just hit some highlights which I will dive into further in the upcoming weeks.Kouda's News is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.* I am a doctoral candidate! This means that I am no longer a student…and am ready to complete the research that I proposed in my dissertation proposal defense - which is focused on the topic of transformational tourism.* This leads me to…our tourism business. The Kouda Company is undergoing a major revival. Can you actually call it a revival if it never lifted off the ground in the first place?? Anyhow, it is in the beginning stages of a start-up now…making a pitch for investors, branding, logos, a new website, marketing research…all the things!* This newsletter…It will be a way for me to write, share, communicate, and build community with people about motherhood, homeschooling, entrepreneurship, doctoral studies, research, tourism, and so much more. Sounds like a crazy mix of subjects, but that is my life and I would like to lean into sharing my story with others.Jean’s StoryAlthough we have been in the US for a little while now, we remain closely connected to events unfolding in Benin. My husband, D'Aquin, was recently nominated to serve as the president of a new nonprofit organization called Support for Disabled People, dedicated to assisting individuals with disabilities in our region of Benin.Their mission is to advocate for the rights of individuals with disabilities in crucial areas such as health, information access, education, employment, income, and culture.A few weeks ago, D’Aquin headed to Benin to visit family and take care of some business. As he was arriving at his hotel around midnight, a young boy who was sitting close by asked if he could help D’Aquin with his bags. Of course, D’Aquin said. When the boy stood up, D’Aquin saw that the boy was handicapped, his legs caving inwards at the knees. D’Aquin was moved by the boy’s willingness to help, even though he was disabled.With his new role as president of Support for Disabled People fresh on his mind, D’Aquin wanted to know more about the boy, whose name was Jean (pronounced like “John” with a French accent). The following morning the opportunity presented itself, as Jean was sitting in the same place as the night before. The video below is Jean’s story.After watching the video, you can see that the story goes way beyond Jean. His parents lost their means to make a living and provide housing for their family when they had to pay all the medical bills during Jean’s illness.D'Aquin has already enrolled Jean in one of the Support for Disabled People programs, which will assist him in locating and financing an apprenticeship to pursue a career as a tailor. Sadly, at this time, the program does not provide support for entire families.We would like to find a way to get the family back on their feet. This means getting the mother and father working again and renting an apartment that is off the dirt ground. We have thought long and hard about the best way to do this, because we have learned over the years that simply giving them money will not necessarily help them.Here is our plan: $725 Motorcycle and helmet for the father, so that he can begin his work as a taxi motorcycle driver again.$200 Provide the mother with funds to purchase goods to sell, previously she sold fruit (pineapple, coconuts, mango, etc) on the side of the road.$225 Find them a place to rent that is affordable for them and pay full rent (including water and electricity) for 3 months and partial rent for the following 3 months.$300 Provide them with furniture and kitchen essentialsAfter 6 months, we will evaluate and see how the family is doing.With $1500, we can help lift this family off the ground and reintegrate them into a working economy again. If you feel called to aid us in this endeavor, please send me a message with the button below. You have reached the end of this week’s newsletter…and I would like to thank you so much for your ongoing support. I am so thrilled about this community that we are building and the exciting adventures happening in the future.Have a wonderful week ahead!Stay well…and smile often 🙂DebraKouda's News is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Life with Debra K at debrakouda.substack.com/subscribe

I celebrated a birthday last week - I honestly don’t have a problem telling you my age - but I think it wise to just keep everyone guessing 🙂My oldest son, Aden, surprised me with the most beautiful gift, my very first Lego set! Oh yes, I have purchased many sets of Lego, but this was the first that was my very own, a bouquet of wildflowers.Kouda's News is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Fun facts!Since I recently celebrated my birthday, I thought I would share a few fun facts that many of you might not know!* I enjoy watching “morning routine” videos on YouTube…and Korean cooking videos* I sing.* I am an amazing whistler (if you don’t believe me comment below and I will share an example with you!)…and I often whistle under stress without any knowledge. For example, during the biochem final exam as a senior in college, I started whistling in a quiet auditorium full of students. I had no idea that I was making noise. When I finally realized that I was whistling, I immediately stopped and prayed that no one had heard me!* My favorite movies are Mary Poppins (the original) and Love Actually, although the Lego Movies are not far behind!* I ran a half-marathon in 2019.* I do not enjoy doing the dishes.* My favorite candle is from a little candle shop in Sugar Loaf, NY where my father grew up.* I am an Apple fan and almost worked for the famous company.* My favorite meal is pounded yam and peanut sauce with chicken.* I am on level 1446 of the Two Dots app.Reflection ☁️This birthday has brought about a lot of contemplation and reflection. I suppose this happens every year, but for some reason, it has a deeper pull this year, perhaps it is my age??!!The below questions have been percolating over the last couple of weeks…“Am I where I thought I would be?” “Am I on a path currently that I want to be on?” “Am I making the right decisions for my children, my family?” “Am I doing things because others want me to or because I want to?”I have a bucket list of goals I would like to accomplish. What I have realized is that it is FEAR holding me back from really pursuing those goals that seem downright audacious (to most people anyway).I am constantly reminded by a few of my colleagues in the doctoral program that in the first “get to know who I am video” assignment, I am now famous for saying that my, “pie in the sky goal is to completely overhaul the education system in Benin.”Oftentimes I wonder where that person is or if it was me who made that statement two years ago, and did I actually believe it? It was me, and I have a video to prove it.But, the FEAR of judgment, failure, and success, have had a serious hold on my mindset these last couple of years.A rather serious conclusion to arrive at - but I know in my bones that I am the one holding myself back.One of my favorite motivational speakers is Robin Arzon. She is a VP at Peloton and I have been listening to her for years as an instructor through the Peloton app. During her last appearance on the Rich Roll podcast, she cited three questions that she uses in journaling:* “Why not me?”* “What is my why?”* “What would I do if I was twice as confident and twice as strong?”Here is the YouTube video clip if you want her explain these questions a bit further.Although my journaling habit is somewhat rusty, these are powerful questions that I have asked myself to help get the ball rolling again.Final thoughts 💭I realize this is not the most upbeat post that I have written - but ladies and gentlemen, this newsletter is all about real life. And as I am learning, there is power in telling your story, even when it is not “social media” perfect.This next year is going to be one of many adventures and I am looking forward to sharing them with you.Feel free to send me your stories as well. There is so much growth and learning that can happen when you are willing to listen to the stories of others.For now…have a wonderful weekend. Enjoy a cup of coffee. Pick out a pumpkin. Read a good book. Play. Hang out with your families.As my friend Steve says, stay well and smile often.DebraKouda's News is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Life with Debra K at debrakouda.substack.com/subscribe

Before I get into the meat and potatoes of this post…has anyone ever just had a craving for cookies so you went ahead and made them - even if you hadn’t planned to? Well, it happened to me today. One minute I was writing and the next I was googling the best recipe for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.Soon after the mixer was whirling 🍪.Kouda's News is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Let me tell you - they turned out just the way I dreamed. Not like the ones in the grocery store but puffy and soft on the inside with the nice crunch of the chocolate chips.And the aroma. I wish I could bottle it up and send it to you through this newsletter because it was heavenly.The dissertationNow, onto the question which I know some of you must have. I have mentioned in previous posts that I am working on my dissertation proposal for my Doctorate of Education (EdD). What I realized this past week is that while I am very familiar with the terminology associated with higher education, many people might not be. So, maybe it would help to explain it.Now, for those of you who are familiar with the term, you most likely associate dissertation with a PhD, or a Doctorate of Philosophy. Of course, there are many types of doctoral degrees, of which the Doctorate of Education happens to be one.A simple difference between a PhD of Education and an EdD of Education:A Doctor of Education (EdD) is a professional degree designed for practitioners pursuing educational leadership roles. A PhD in education, on the other hand, is designed to prepare graduates for research and teaching roles.Now, I will go ahead and explain the dissertation and how I am completing it based on my program at Arizona State University, as it is what I have the most experience with.I am a part of a 3-year action research program, where you conduct three cycles of research during your time as a student. In case you have never heard of action research, it is a philosophy and methodology of research that:…seeks transformative change through the simultaneous process of taking action and doing research, which are linked together by critical reflection.As of the writing of this post, I have finished two cycles of research and my dissertation research is the third.When you reach the 8th semester (we don’t have summer breaks!) it is time for you to defend your dissertation proposal to your selected committee. The dissertation proposal is essentially a contract you are entering into with your committee about the research that you plan to conduct.The committee consists of three people (normally) - the chair (head of the committee) and two others.According to the Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, a dissertation (noun) is defined as:an extended usually written treatment of a subjectspecifically: one submitted for a doctorateIn other words, a long formal piece of writing on one particular subject.The dissertation proposal I am composing consists of three written chapters:* The introduction and purpose of the study/research - historical, larger, and local context* The literature review - the theoretical background for your intended research* The methodology - the recipe you will use to conduct your researchThe dissertation proposal defense is a formal event, and in my case will take place online. I will prepare a 20-minute presentation about my research plan, summarizing my written proposal. The committee would have read my proposal beforehand and come to the defense with questions and/or suggestions which they will ask when my presentation is over.For my program, there is a second part to the dissertation proposal defense, and that is an oral comprehensive examination. I have two options for this part:* Receive questions one week before the dissertation defense, allowing time to prepare a response or…* Questions are asked on the day of the defense, so you are giving responses on the fly.Now, once these two parts are over, I am sent out of the space and the committee is given time to discuss and decide if I am going to pass.After that major hurdle, it is a walk in the park 🙂* You receive necessary approvals from the Institutional Review Boards (IRB)* Conduct your research* Analyze the results of your research* Update your dissertation to include the results of your research (chapters 4 and 5) or in an alternative dissertation format* Submit for the dissertation defense* Graduate!Okay, so it may be slightly more difficult than a walk in the park. I don’t want to get ahead of myself - lots to do between now and then!I hope this short overview has helped to shed a little light on a process that might have sounded confusing before.Above all, I am very lucky to have an amazing chair/mentor and Community of Practice helping me navigate. They have truly made all the difference in the world!Snails 🐌As it is fall here the cleaning up of the small little garden is taking place. When the boys were clipping the tomato plants they discovered a family of snails! I tell you, I have never seen a kid as excited to find snails as Benjamin. His energy is contagious!Thank you so much for reading and/or listening and I hope that you have a wonderful week ahead!As my friend Steve says…Stay well and smile often.DebraKouda's News is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Life with Debra K at debrakouda.substack.com/subscribe

Fall holds a special place in my heart, even though I enjoy both of the transition seasons we experience here in the Northwest. About 2 weeks ago, the first flock of Canadian geese flew over - signaling the changing of the tide from summer to fall.Kouda's News is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.At least this sign does for me - as I’m writing this, I realize many people have never seen geese migrate from the north to the south. It is quite a sight to behold, especially when you see flocks of over 100 birds all “v’d” up to make the long journey. And they do not go quietly, they certainly are a loud bunch when they fly over rooftops - I often wonder what all of that chatter is about. I’m sure some Canadian geese researchers could tell me more about it.It has been a busy time since the last newsletter came out…The annual fair took place less than a block away from where we live. So there were 11 days of concerts, rodeos, and the demolition derby. And much more traffic on our somewhat already busy street.Aden and Ben set up and ran their second annual lemonade stand, taking advantage of the masses of people going to and from the fair. They even concocted a new product this year, which was called the “Purple Shake” - and was a take-off of “the Grimace” shake that McDonald’s had for about a month last June. It was a success and a delicious combination of vanilla ice cream, milk, raspberries, and blueberries that hit the spot on the hot August days. I honestly wasn’t sure how this idea was going to pan out, but we figured out a system, and on the first day they sold more shakes than I thought they could have! Just goes to show that as adults we do not always know the outcomes of what we may think are crazy ideas.After the fair was over I had about a week left before the fall semester started for my doctorate program. Hard to believe, but I will be defending my dissertation proposal this November and starting up research in the spring. This is somewhat of a daunting task for me as I almost completely changed my dissertation topic last June. Am I worried? Nah. After talking with a couple of my professors this past week, I have realized this is just part of the doctoral process. I have learned and grown so much during these last two years. It is incredible when I look back at what I thought I wanted to do during my first semester and where I am now. Fantastic really if I allow myself time for reflection.Then the boys and I took a road trip down to Oregon to visit some college friends that I hadn’t seen in years. It was a great drive, and I always enjoy visiting the state where I spent four years after high school. We stayed in my friend’s tiny house that they have in their backyard and it was a truly wonderful experience. I have always been intrigued by the tiny living spaces and this did not disappoint! We visited a carousel museum, ate some delicious cupcakes, and even saw a production of Pinocchio. Plus there was plenty of time to play and just catch up with old friends. On the way home, we drove up the Oregon coast and put our feet in the Pacific, which was freezing!Oh, and how could I forget? My parents celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary! They have reached the golden years :) These seasonal transitions also trigger something in me to re-organize and move around furniture. This year was no exception and the boys worked tirelessly with me as we made some major furniture changes. Does anyone else go through this? I’m sure that it can’t just be me!I am looking forward to enjoying the rest of the fall and all that it has to offer, including some apple picking 🍎!And for all of you, I hope that you enjoy “fall” wherever you may be.Stay well and smile often…DebraAs always, if you would like to support this newsletter and my work, feel free to subscribe. It is greatly appreciated!Kouda's News is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Life with Debra K at debrakouda.substack.com/subscribe

First off, I would like to say thank you for all your support during this past year regarding my entrepreneurship ventures.I put together 2 pitches this year asking for $20K through a program, Venture Devils, at ASU. While I received amazing feedback on the pitches, I did not receive any funding.Each time I went back to the drawing board as to where the issue was and how I could change the development plan of Ékodjayé, the T3 Innovation Hub in Benin.What I realized after the pitch in the spring has been monumental in how I am approaching this venture, as well as my doctoral dissertation.(That is right…I will be defending my dissertation proposal this fall!)I went back to my WHY…In Benin, after you finish your general education (through high school in US terms), you take le Bac, the national test, which determines your eligibility to move on and continue your studies at the University level.Over the last 5 years, the average passing rate of the 33,000 students who took le Bac in our region was 40%. This means that over the past 5 years, 13,000 students passed, while 20,000 were left without the opportunity to go on and continue their studies at the university level. And this is just in our region of the country.This is the group that we are wanting to address - to provide hope and opportunities.The T3 Alliance programs, which I was using on adapting for Èkodjayé, were developed to exist within a formal education setting.However, in Benin, we are not working within a formal education setting. And yet, I was trying to take the T3 Alliance program and make it fit within an informal education setting. This was the lightbulb that popped on after the last pitch.This past year has provided many networking opportunities and has allowed me to have conversations with people that might help me address this issue, including being invited to the Clinton Global Initiative University.One conversation that brought about different answers to the above dilemma was this question - if the students (and in this case, the students are community members - not students in a formal education environment) go through these different curriculums, do you have a job waiting for them at the end?No. I don’t.In the T3 Alliance model, the students move on to the University and finish their education where a job is most likely a reality at the end of their studies (especially within the fields that they are studying).So the new idea that has developed is this -I am going to tap into The Kouda Company, the tourism business that my husband and I started just as the pandemic began in 2020.My dissertation is going to focus on the idea of knowledge sharing in tourism. For example, let’s say you are an orthopedic surgeon in the US and you decide to tour Benin. We would put members of the community together so that you could present how orthopedic medicine works in the US (or wherever you happen to be from). In the vein of knowledge sharing, we would then organize a visit for you to see how the traditional bone healers work in the local villages.This idea of knowledge sharing and experiential learning is very exciting and provides an opportunity for people from different cultures and different parts of the world to share how they handle similar situations. For friendships and networking opportunities to develop.As you can probably tell, I’m still working on the best way to explain this type of tourism, but I will get there.The Kouda Company will also form a foundation, at this point, it will probably be called Èkodjayé, which will be the informal education environment hosting apprenticeships programs. When the student has finished the apprenticeship program, they receive a certificate of completion, in the field of their choice, and we as an organization would have made connections with local and national businesses so that would have a job available to them at the end.The picture below shows the mind map of the beginnings of this new take on the idea. The Kouda Company would also host AirBnb’s for tourists who are just traveling through, as well as a longer-term educational and cultural exchange programs. I participated in something similar when I was a senior in my undergraduate years at Oregon State and spent three months at the Cheetah Conservation Fund in Namibia (maybe there are some readers who remember this experience???!!!).Anyhow, I am so glad that I am finally getting this story out to the world. Now it is time to make it happen!Debra Kouda DesignsAt long last, I have gone back to my creative roots a bit and dived back into website design. It is taking a lot longer than I realized it would find funding for the big goal that I explained above.I created Debra Kouda Designs to mainly cover the niche of academics, scholars, and researchers who are looking to create their own online presence outside of social media (including LinkedIn!). I have encountered many academics who want to get a personal website up and running but do not know how or where to start.If you happen to know anyone in this space who seems to fit the bill, please send them my way!Also, as it is the beginning of the business, if you are in need of a website and ARE NOT an academic or researcher, I would still love to help you out.Feel free to click on the link (here!) and peruse my new business on the world wide web!For those of you who know, I enjoy a good cup of coffee. I have been on the lookout for an at-home espresso machine for a while now, and here it is! Best find at a garage sale - my new (to me) espresso maker! With this and my Ember mug, I can enjoy a delicious cup of espresso and more…WARM…even if I can’t drink it right away! Sometimes it is the small things in life that put a smile on your face ☕️😁.I am looking forward to keeping you all up to date on life in the Kouda household! Don’t forget to subscribe so that you don’t miss any important updates!Stay well my friends and smile often!Kouda's News is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Life with Debra K at debrakouda.substack.com/subscribe

I know that it has been a hot minute since I graced your inbox, so here’s a…Short little newsletter and update on this beautiful Wednesday evening!It is almost the end of the spring semester (5 semesters down for my doctorate woohoo!) which means there is another opportunity for me to secure some funding from Venture Devils for the development of Èkodjayé in Benin.I very much appreciated all of the feedback this little community provided the last time and am reaching out to see if you would be willing to help me out again!Here is the Loom video.Canva - 19 March 2023 - Watch VideoI also have included feedback from the judges of the first round. In general, I have a good idea of the direction I need to go, but at this point, I do not have a Venture Devils mentor so am looking to simply find my own!Thank you all for your time!Stay well and smile often 😀DebraKouda's News is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Feedback from judgesA judge:Did the venture clearly describe the product or service?Assess on a scale of 1 to 5; 1 being no clear identification, 5 being clearly understood with quality descriptions presented.5 / 5Did the venture clearly present an understanding of their customer segment/market opportunity (i.e. competitive advantage)?5 / 5Did the venture demonstrate a plan for a sustainable business model, and/or a plan to reach necessary milestones to grow and scale their enterprise?5 / 5Positive feedback for the pitch/presenters?Great explanation of the problem. Love the story.Suggestions to improve the pitch/presentation or other areas related to their venture?How will you make money (what grants, how will you fundraise, who are you seeking donation from, and how will you obtain those donation). Add details on how you plan to continue to raise money to support the non-profit.A judge:Did the venture clearly describe the product or service?Assess on a scale of 1 to 5; 1 being no clear identification, 5 being clearly understood with quality descriptions presented.3 / 5Did the venture clearly present an understanding of their customer segment/market opportunity (i.e. competitive advantage)?3 / 5Did the venture demonstrate a plan for a sustainable business model, and/or a plan to reach necessary milestones to grow and scale their enterprise?3 / 5Positive feedback for the pitch/presenters?The plan aims for a better place for opportunities in such places where there simply are not enough resources to keep up with 4IR mentioned.Suggestions to improve the pitch/presentation or other areas related to their venture?providing additional implementation plans to stand out from competitors such as advertisements might be needed. What are the unit economics? What does the company do uniquely well and what is the cost structure of setting up these centers? What is the profitability?FeedbackGreat description of the problem statement but more detail would be great for how you plan to make this a profitable venture. Or consider non-profit models that will provide sustainability.A judge:Did the venture clearly describe the product or service?Assess on a scale of 1 to 5; 1 being no clear identification, 5 being clearly understood with quality descriptions presented.4 / 5Did the venture clearly present an understanding of their customer segment/market opportunity (i.e. competitive advantage)?4 / 5Did the venture demonstrate a plan for a sustainable business model, and/or a plan to reach necessary milestones to grow and scale their enterprise?5 / 5Positive feedback for the pitch/presenters?Incredibly interesting and well thought out presentation. The fact that you have real experience with the location and live there part of the year shows that you have complete buy in for a venture like this. The story at the beginning and the adage about learning to fish really helped to set the stage for your pitch.Suggestions to improve the pitch/presentation or other areas related to their venture?I am curious about the background of the name. It is defined on the first slide, but it may be worth sharing the meaning of the name in your intro since it is used so many times throughout the presentation. It will allow for the judges/audience to constantly make the connection to education being life. Additionally, in the executive summary, under management team, the first paragraph goes from speaking in 3rd person to speaking in 1st person. In order to keep it consistent with the others listed, third person may be best. Lastly, the first few slides have great graphics that help the listener follow along with what you are saying. The last few slides don't have the same graphics. The pictures that caught my attention the most were the real life photos that represented the community this business will be benefiting. I would encourage you to add more pictures of the community!FeedbackI truly love this and I am very interested in what is to come for you!Kouda's News is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Life with Debra K at debrakouda.substack.com/subscribe

FridayI knew the travel day wouldn't go as planned as soon as TSA in Bellingham confiscated the overnight oats I had prepped for breakfast. Perhaps it was because they had only been in the fridge for three hours and hadn't fully reached an oatmeal-like consistency, but who knows? I could have gone back out of security and eaten it, but at 4:30 am, I just wasn't ready to eat! Of course, they gave me the option of checking it in my luggage, but I didn't have any. So, I had to watch them throw my food in the garbage.The flight to Seattle was quick and uneventful. Upon arrival at Sea-Tac airport, I was hungry. I took the train to the beautifully renovated N gates, where I found a sweet spot by the window. Many people were in the airport, which amazed me, especially so early in the morning. I wrote last week's newsletter, drank a delicious Americano, and watched the comings and goings of airline traffic.In our house, we are fans of the Kara and Nate YouTube channel and have been watching them for at least four years. In their videos, they give flight attendants a gift, usually a box of chocolates, whenever they board an airplane. On a whim, I bought a bag of candy treats from an airport store to give to the flight attendants on my upcoming flight. I wrote a little "thank you" message on the bag of goodies with the blue permanent marker I always carry with me.Boarding had started and I felt a little nervous about giving something to the flight attendants. As I got on the plane, I gave the treats to the flight attendants who were greeting passengers. Almost immediately, they exclaimed, "Wow! Thank you so much! What is your name? What is your seat number?" I overheard them chatting as I walked to my seat, "How nice! These are some of my favorite kinds of candy..."If I had been feeling down, this experience would have certainly put me in a good mood! So, I recommend bringing a box of chocolates or sweet treats for the flight attendants on your next flight. It will definitely bring a little joy to their day (and yours!).After finding my window seat, I evaluated my seatmates to see if they were the type to engage in conversation or not. I’m currently reading Malcolm Gladwell's book "Talking to Strangers," and if you haven't guessed by now, I am one of those people who talks to strangers. Of course, as I mentioned earlier, I do a brief intake to see if my conversation will be well-received. It turned out that I was sitting next to a couple from Eugene, Oregon, who were traveling to Nashville for business. They were fantastic people to sit next to, even graciously letting me get out to go to the bathroom twice! 😂The flight took off smoothly, but during our descent into Nashville, the captain's voice came over the loudspeaker:In case you haven't noticed, we have climbed back up to cruising altitude. Due to high winds in Nashville, air traffic control has asked us to circle the Nashville airport for 1.5 hours. However, we do not have enough fuel to do that, so we will be diverting to New Orleans to refuel before continuing on to Nashville.As I sat in my seat, I remained hopeful that I would make it to the opening plenary session of the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) conference. No worries.The sun greeted us in New Orleans, which was a welcome change from the dreary, cloudy days of Washington. While looking out my window seat, I observed the fuel truck connecting the hose to the wing. Once the fueling was complete, the pilot informed us that we would have to remain on the ground in New Orleans until we received word from Nashville that a landing spot was available. The delay was due to ongoing tornado warnings and high winds.Several passengers deplaned to stretch their legs in the jetway.I decided to remain in my seat and was relieved when the other passengers started returning to theirs. The captain announced that it was time to head to Nashville, and I knew I would make it to the conference in time!The flight attendants gave another safety briefing, and then we waited patiently for takeoff.I looked outside and saw someone bring the blocks out and put them in front of the airplane tires.Then I watched as a baggage cart was wheeled around and the baggage ramp was moved toward the plane.And then the words no one wants to hear when you are on a flight and have a destination that needs to be reached that day…This is the captain. The pilots and crew have timed out. The flight to Nashville is cancelled. Please exit the plane and proceed to the gate agent who will be able to help.BAM. That solidified it. I was going to miss the first night and at least Saturday morning sessions of the conference. Bummer.Everyone gathered their stuff and people were immediately on their phones calling Alaska Air customer service and wondering what was going to happen now.I came out of the jetway and saw a long line of passengers waiting to talk with the two gate agents.Geez. This is going to take a LONG time.About three minutes later, I heard people saying, check your email.Sure enough, there was an email from Alaska Airlines, letting us know they were sorry for the change in flight. Included in the email was a link to pick your hotel and meal vouchers. Within seconds the vibe of the section of the airport we were in changed. A little bit of frustration, but for the most part, people were chill. Everything was going to be okay. The flight was to be rescheduled for the next morning at 9 am.I was so impressed by the way Alaska Airlines handled this situation. Millions of hats off to them for having solutions to issues like this setup and ready to deploy!Quite a few of us checked in to the airport Hilton, and soon after, overran the hotel restaurant who was obviously not staffed for having so many new customers all at once! I ate dinner with some nice women from the flight who called Nashville home.SaturdaySaturday was an early, but very relaxing morning, getting to the airport with enough time to use up the meal vouchers that we were given the night before. As a souvenir for being in New Orleans, I purchased a can of Cafe du Monde coffee ☕️ and some fresh beignets (they have a shop at the airport!).The plane that we had gotten off of the night before pulled up to the gate and we greeted the same flight attendants (sans a treat this time).I chose the aisle seat for this short flight and found myself sitting next to two people traveling for work to Nashville. As it turned out, they were from a marketing and branding firm in Seattle, and one of them was a former employee of Starbucks. We talked throughout the flight after I asked them for one piece of advice they would give to someone starting out in their entrepreneurial marketing and branding journey.We arrived smoothly in Nashville - with most of the passengers clapping as we touched down.After taking an Uber with a driver who let me know how he felt about politics and politicians (I did not mention that I was going to an event organized by the Clinton Global Initiative!), I arrived late to the conference.Or maybe, was I right on time? I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. The people I met and the conversations I had during the whole canceled flight ordeal were terrific. They were interested in my projects and wondered how and when they would be able to tour Benin. I received advice and was able to practice my pitch about what we are trying to create.So here is to taking advantage of those situations that are unexpected, talking to strangers, and to Alaska Airlines for having handled a difficult situation with ease.None of this would have happened if everything would have gone according to plan.Stay tuned until next week when I will take a deep dive into CGI U and my experience. Until then, I leave you with a replay of the first session that I attended.Have a wonderful week…Stay well and smile often!DebraPS…Shoutout to one of my reader’s for sending me coffee last week! Kouda's News is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Life with Debra K at debrakouda.substack.com/subscribe

I’m writing the newsletter from the N gates at the SeaTac International Airport. I think that I could sit and watch all the movement that happens at airports for hours. The view I have right now is of planes coming into the gate, leaving, taking off, and disappearing into the cloudy skies of Seattle. It’s probably going to be a bit of a bumpy takeoff.In case you forgot where I am headed, I will kindly remind you 🙂 I am headed to Nashville for the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) conference. It will be a whirlwind of a weekend, but I am so excited about the possibilities!Here is a little clip from the conference website as to what CGI U is all about:Founded by President Bill Clinton in 2007, the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U) is a community of students who are taking action together on pressing challenges facing their campuses, communities, and the world. The 15th CGI U Annual Meeting at Vanderbilt University will bring together aspiring leaders and global experts in business, public service, and social impact to develop innovative solutions to global challenges.Movie Theaters??When was the last time you went to the movie theater? I had not been since at least 2016 or 2017 when we still lived in Fairbanks. Well, I ended that drought yesterday when I took my boys and their two cousins to see one of the latest Marvel movies, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Ant-Man has been a beloved comic book character in our house since its debut film.The highlight for me was watching the boys’ reactions to the film…and the line, “and what do you do? You talk to ants…” If you are a Marvels fan, it is a great film and leaves a nice cliffhanger at the end. Remember to watch through the beginning credits, they always include a sneak peek!The movie theater experience was the same as it always has been, but the seats have been nicely upgraded, and the cup holders are so convenient (for the Bubbly fizzy waters that we snuck in!). I have to tell you though, there were only 10 of us at the showing. Ten. And I honestly don’t think there were that many more people in any of the other showings. How in the world are movie theaters staying alive?Regal Cinemas has started a monthly subscription service for $27 (I think) to watch unlimited movies. Will that sort of promo help to get people back to the big screen? I guess time will tell. One big lesson the kids learned is that you can’t pause the movie at the theater to go to the bathroom! One point for watching movies at home!But the theater did have arcade games and the boys spent a bit of time playing those after the movie was over. Aden went through his change jar and brought all the quarters he could find! That is it for this week, gotta go catch my flight ✈️Stay tuned next week for a recap of what this weekend brings!Stay well…and smile often 😃DebraKouda's News is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Life with Debra K at debrakouda.substack.com/subscribe

👩🏼‍💻 DoctorateFor those of you who are new to the newsletter or may not be aware, I am currently a student in the Doctorate of Education in Leadership and Innovation program at the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College at Arizona State University. I was drawn to this program for many reasons including:* a 100% online, three-year, cohort-based degree* focus on research in action* the option to advance professional studies in systems, professional, and reimagined change leadership* conduct multiple cycles of research throughout the program to learn how to research within your own workplace (or context)* be place in a Leader Scholar Communities (LSCs) - a faculty member and 5-7 of your cohort members (starting in the 5th term), where academic and personal support will occur* an action-research dissertationI am in a cohort of 20 that began in the Fall of 2021. During the first semester, a couple of cohort members started regular Zoom sessions and invited other cohort members to show up. I have to admit that I did not regularly attend these in the beginning - because I thought, why should I meet with other people unless the course requires it?Boy, I’m sure glad that I started participating in what we now call our Community of Practice (CoP) in Spring 2022. There are between 5-7 of us (from Canada and the US) who meet twice a week over Zoom. Attendance is not mandatory, we show up when it fits into our schedules.We complete discussion assignments and talk about the courses. Still, above all, we have become each other’s support system as we go through this doctoral process (which we all acknowledge we put ourselves in). I can’t describe how much these people mean to me - they are my friends, my colleagues to bounce ideas off of, they are outliers just like I am - and we have finally found each other. It is such a safe space to be in. We talk all the time about how we have learned so much from each other in this CoP…maybe more than we have from the courses themselves.The fall of 2022 brought around the time when the Leader Scholar Communities are formed by the faculty. Our little CoP has somewhat become well-known within the college (we believe) and we rallied to be placed together into an LSC. This decision went all the way to the top. For the most part, members of our cohort were placed with colleagues they would choose to be with, including our little group. And this is another reason I like the program, the faculty and directors listened, looked at the feedback, and made changes. In fact, the process for putting together the LSCs has now changed. Students can now name which students they would like to be placed within the LSC.We would like to give our CoP a little pat on the back for pushing for changes to make things better - but isn’t that what we should be doing? After all, we are in a Doctorate of Education for LEADERSHIP and INNOVATION. If we aren’t trying to lead and innovate in our own doctoral program, how are we going to be able to do it in our own contexts?🧆 Dinner ConversationsEarlier this week my Dad started talking about the winner of the billion-dollar lottery ticket, who is supposedly from Maine. Aden immediately latched onto this and started asking each one of us around the table…“What would you do with a million dollars????”When was the last time you thought about this?Immediately, I started thinking of all the grown-up things that I would do…pay off debt, buy a house, take an amazing vacation…My Mom said that she would buy a new mattress. And then Ben piped in with, “and some new sheets too!”Of course, my Dad brought about the whole idea of taxes, and that probably you would only get between $600 and $700 thousand.The boys, however, were on a roll.“I’m going to buy a mansion. And hire a butler.” (Aden)“I’m going to have a dessert room.” (Ben)“I’m going to have my own airplane.” (Ben)“I’m going to have my own chef.” (Aden)“I’m going to have the biggest biggest swimming pool.” (Ben)“I’m going to have the largest slide in the world in my house - well, maybe not too large, it could be dangerous.” (Aden)As adults, we would interject with questions, saying“Well, to have a personal plane is really expensive because you have to have a pilot, and crew, and pay fees to all the airports you land in.”The boys were undeterred. (Aden) would say, “I have my lemonade stand business that will help to cover all the costs that the million doesn’t cover.”We went on for almost 1/2 hour talking about his.When was the last time you thought about the answer to this question from the perspective of a child?Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be able to imagine answers to questions such as these without the weight of an adult mind?So, I put the question to you…What would you do with a million dollars? 💰🏈 Gotta love Superbowl commercialsI admit it, I sat around and watched the Superbowl this year (and frankly many other years) for the commercials and half-time show.There were a few good ads this go around, but my favorite was the Budlight commercial with Miles Teller and his wife, Keleigh Sperry. The music was so chill. The dancing was great. Of course, now every time that I am on hold now and have to listen to the hold music, I immediately start thinking of this commercial.In case you missed it, I have included it here :) If you watch the commercial and think, man, that music is really familiar - you just might have heard it if you have ever been on hold with Cisco. Apparently, that is their hold music (Opus No.1 by Tim Carleton). However, I hope that you have never been on hold with them, as being on hold for over an hour would almost drive anyone to dance. And I guess that was what Budlight was trying to impress, that you can enjoy every moment, even those that feel “wasted.”🚲 You can find me on PelotonThis last week I had a very special delivery. A Peloton bike was placed in the “garage gym”. I have been a Peloton user since 2016, including using it to train for the half-marathon I did in 2019, and I 100% believe in the platform. Peloton has a new program where you can rent one of their bikes for a flat delivery fee followed by monthly fees. When you are finished with it, you call them up and they come and pick it up, no charges and no questions asked! Of course, you can also purchase it if you would like. For someone like me who travels between two countries, this is a fantastic option.If you happen to be a Peloton user, you can find me @debrakouda! See you there!To learn more about Peloton you can check out their website!Have a fantastic week everyone!Stay well…and smile often 😃Debra Get full access to Life with Debra K at debrakouda.substack.com/subscribe

🎶 Oooh…the best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup…I believe the majority of you reading or listening to this newsletter know this little jingle from Rockapella and Folgers Coffee…Sorry, you might have that little jingle stuck in your head for the rest of the day now…Well, contrary to what the jingle is stating, the best part of waking up is actually to wait 90-120 minutes before drinking your delicious morning cup of coffee (or whatever form of caffeine you drink while reading the morning newspaper).How did I come upon this knowledge you ask…A Health JourneyBack in August 2022, I started working with a health and fitness coach. (For all the women reading this, if you happen to be looking for a coach, I highly recommend the ladies at Flexis Fitness…science-backed programs designed specifically for women).On one of the very first calls that I had with my coach, I mentioned that for the most part, I always felt like I needed more coffee to make it through the afternoon and onto the evenings. She asked if I drank coffee within 20 to 30 minutes of waking up in the morning - of course I said, who doesn’t?Without hesitation, she said, maybe you should try waiting one and a half to two hours before having the first cup. WHAT??!! I don’t think that I could do that! She explained the science behind it, which paraphrased went something like this…When you wake up in the morning, you still have adenosine (the sleepiness factor) in your system. You would think that by drinking caffeine you would eliminate that, but due to the makeup of caffeine, you end up blocking that adenosine.So, when the caffeine wears off - the adenosine is freed and causes the sleepiness to return.By waiting for 90-120 minutes, you give adenosine the opportunity to work itself out of your system. A couple of ways to get the adenosine out of your system quickly is to:* hydrate when you wake up (H2O)* get bright light in your eyes as soon as you can, ideally from sunlight (but bright artificial lights can also do the trick)…* And ten minutes of movement (jumping jacks or walking, etc.)She said for me to think about it, and try it out.Okay, I said.Of course, after that call, I headed onto the good ‘ole internet to see if I could find out some more information about it and I stumbled upon the below video podcast by Dr. Andrew Huberman. The science behind it is so fascinating…If you are wondering how it went…since August, I wait to have the first cup of coffee for at least an hour or longer in the morning. And when I do it in combination with moving and getting sunlight I feel more energized and less groggy in the afternoon. I also don’t feel like I need more coffee to get me through the day unless, of course, I have some heavy theoretical reading to do for school 😂.Reflecting…At some point in the last couple of months, it led me to think about how I started off my days in Benin…* Wake up with the sun, not an alarm clock, between 6:30 and 7 am…* Drink some water and brush my teeth…* Stand outside on the porch to enjoy the coolness of the morning…* Go back inside, boil water, and make a beautiful French press of coffee…* Then usually, take a cold shower (too lazy to warm up water for a hot shower in the morning!).This simple routine is what the majority of people in our community in Benin do in the morning. There are additions to this routine, depending on who you are and your jobs within the household. Most mornings people wake up and sweep the floors of their houses and yards and wash the dishes. It isn’t jumping jacks or push-ups, but it is movement.It made me wonder if these steps lead to a less stressed, more happy population. Maybe I’ll have to give Dr. Huberman a call to do a study in Benin :)Ending with a story…This is a story about a son and his father and a horse.The father and son were going to visit some family and had a long day of travel ahead. They both started out riding the horse.They met someone along the road.The person said, “You both are riding the horse! Don’t you know that is too much weight for the horse?”So, the father got down and started walking, while the son continued to ride the horse.A little while later, they met another person on the road.“What is going on,” the person says to the father, “you are old and your son has more endurance than you, why are you letting him ride the horse?”So, the father and son switched places.They continued on their journey.They met a third person along the road.“What is wrong with you?” the person said to the father. “You are the father and you are riding and you are making your son walk?”The father descended and he and his son decided to walk next to the horse.They were about to arrive at their destination when they met a fourth person.“Are you not smart?” the person said to the father and son.“You have a horse that you could both be riding to have a faster journey, but you have chosen to walk next to the horse.”The father then leaned over and told his son, “What you can learn from this is no matter what you do people are going to have their own opinion about it.This little story, a parable, is one that my husband recently told me. As per usual with parables, there is a lesson to be learned. And if you haven’t figured it out already, here is the one for this little story. Stick with what you believe in and what you believe is right. Because no matter what you do, you will never be able to please everyone.By the way, if any of you decide to try and delay your caffeine in the morning - please let me know how it works for you! It has been a game-changer for me, so I thought I would share!Have a wonderful week ahead…Stay well and smile often 😊DebraTODAY’S PICKS…what I would share if we were chatting at the water cooler 💦📖  READING …Besides all the articles for school 🙂  Strong Mothers, Strong Sons by Meg Meeker, M.D ; The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control by Katherine Morgan Schafler; Tranquility Tuesdays by Laura Vanderkam🎧  LISTENING …Marketplace Podcast…I have been learning about the economy from Kai Rysdal and the crew for over 5 years!🎶  MUSIC …still Sea Shanty’s! All because I watched The Fisherman’s Friends 🎣 Get full access to Life with Debra K at debrakouda.substack.com/subscribe

Our family was all excited to go up to Canada for a few Saturdays in February because my husband is taking a course for work. Something different on a Saturday, a chance to go explore our neighboring country which is only about a ten-minute drive from our house.On Friday night, in preparation for the next day’s trip, I pulled out all of our passports just to double-check that everything was copasetic (btw this is one of my favorite words!). Looking at Benjamin’s I realized his was coming close to being renewed. Children under 16 have to be renewed every 5 years, they change so much in such a short time!Everything was looking good until I came to my passport. And I read…Expires: 24 JAN 2023No Way! It was the 27th the day I was looking. I remember looking at all of our passport expirations sometime last September, but I must have thought that January 2023 was so far off!To say I was shocked would probably be an understatement. I was a little bit embarrassed, and also just disappointed because the boys and I were looking forward to our little adventures while D’Aquin was in class.Of course, I immediately ran to the internet to see if there was another way that I could get across the border, but short of an enhanced driver’s license which I do not have, it really wasn’t worth the risk.Saturday came and instead of going to Canada, the boys and I walked down to the local Rite Aid for new passport photos. I came home and applied for a new passport online. That is right, the whole process is done completely online. There was a little bit of a wait when I created my account, but after that, it was pretty smooth sailing. No need to go to the local post office. I didn’t even need to have an official passport photo. You have the option to upload a photo taken with your phone. I did not realize this until after I had the passport photo taken.(FYI…for children, you still have to have an official passport photo and go to the post office).I now am patiently waiting for the passport to arrive.Besides going to Canada for these little trips it is important for all of our family to keep our passports up to date in case we need to travel to Benin in a hurry.I just thought I would share this little story with all of you...maybe some of you will go and check your expiration dates!I now have all of our renewal dates, which they recommend done six months before the passport expires, in my calendar. Oh, the lessons learned on a normal Friday evening!ÈkodjayéBack in December 2022, I found out about the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGIU) through the ASU Venture Devils email newsletter:Students apply to participate in CGI U’s year-round community of learning, leadership, and action — beginning with a global meeting where participants, topic experts, and high-profile innovators convene to support and learn from each other.Over the course of the program, rising leaders participate in trainings, modules, and tailored events that help formulate their ideas and provide the necessary resources, feedback, and tools to transform their ideas into action.Looking at what it entailed, I thought, wow, this looks like it could be beneficial for me as I work to make Èkodjayé a reality. So I applied. It was a very carefree, no-stress sort of application. Just answered the questions in under 1500 characters and pushed SUBMIT. I had the opportunity to go in and make some revisions, but I decided against it (which is very unlike me!).I basically forgot about it as the new semester began and life moved forward in 2023. Last Thursday I received an email informing me that I was selected to join the Clinton Global Initiative University community!Wow! Cool, I thought. They have an upcoming conference in Nashville, but due to cost, I had not planned on attending.This past Wednesday I received an email from my college (Mary Lou Fulton Teachers’ College at ASU) letting me know that they were going to cover my travel to attend the conference! Apparently, the coordinator of the CGI U program at ASU had contacted them.Okay - I realized, this must be a bigger deal than I thought. I emailed the coordinator to find out how many students had been accepted into this CGI U community this time around. I thought that she would say 100 at least.Twelve.12 people were chosen. And I was one of them.I am so excited and honored about this opportunity. I suppose what makes this invite even more amazing is that I basically did it on a whim. And it was all stress-free. Isn’t this the way it is supposed to be??!!So now, I will be enjoying Nashville the first weekend in March in a whirlwind trip to attend the conference which is being held at Vanderbilt University.If anyone has any tips or good places to eat that they know of in Nashville (not that I will have time!) send them my way! This will be my first time in the music city.A few other things…It has been quite a week, to say the least. As I write this I am listening to gusts of wind blow past the house and my children’s laughs as they play in the crazy windy weather.I watched The Fisherman’s Friends movies this week, and their music is now on repeat. Take a listen to the list below and you will be singing sea shanty’s all weekend long!Also, the boys and I learned about some incredible sea creatures. Just watch the YouTube videos and the coconut octopus (Amphioctopus marginatus) and peacock mantis shrimp (Stomatopoda) will be topics of conversation at your dinner table. So many amazing species exist on this planet!Why Subscribe??I’m sure that at one point or another, you have been asked to become a paid subscriber to this newsletter. If you are wondering why you should - here are a few reasons…* The opportunity to be a part of the community that I am creating. Friends and family, new subscribers, I greatly enjoy sharing my story and journey with you as I navigate many different avenues.* A way to financially support me and my future goals (Ekodjaye and The Kouda Company...more on those later!) as I go through this doctoral program. Things are slowly moving forward as I look for funding for those larger goals, but right now it is all me.I hope that you all have a wonderful week ahead!Stay well and smile often 😃TODAY’S PICKS…what I would share if we were chatting at the water cooler 💦📖  READING …Besides all the articles for school 🙂  Strong Mothers, Strong Sons by Meg Meeker, M.D ; Talking to Strangers by Malcom Gladwell ; Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty; just added Tranquility Tuesdays by Laura Vanderkam🎧  LISTENING …Marketplace Podcast…I have been learning about the economy from Kai Rysdal and the crew for over 5 years!🎶  MUSIC …Sea Shanty’s! All because I watched The Fisherman’s Friends 🎣 Get full access to Life with Debra K at debrakouda.substack.com/subscribe

I listened to a phenomenal podcast this past week - Seth Godin chatting with Rich Roll. After watching and listening (you can watch it on YouTube or listen to it on the podcast service of your choice) to this a few more times I will debrief and explain why this was so pertinent to me and the work that I am doing. Although, if you end up watching it, some of you might figure it out yourselves!One issue for me writing this newsletter consistently is that I am looking for it to be absolutely perfect when I hit publish. Of course, that will never happen.As Seth highlighted in the podcast when he was talking about a near-death experience he just had while swimming in the Pacific Ocean…There’s a difference between drowning off the coast of San Clemente and putting up a blog post that isn’t perfect.I simply need to get out of my own way and remember that this is a space to share my story, my thoughts and ideas. It is not a dissertation that has to have perfect APA formatting or a manuscript that is being sent for final edits to a publisher.And then, of course, it comes down to MY WHY…Why did I decide to write this newsletter?* To write, as that is one of the only ways to become a better writer (academic or not),* to share my story,* and finally to have conversations and build community.The last reason is a fairly new realization. I used to work in an office where community occurred naturally, over at the water cooler or by popping over to your neighbors cube. That really doesn’t exist for me now and it is something I really miss. An avenue to try out new ideas, talk about what happened over the weekend, or what you learned in the latest non-fiction book you just finished. More on this at the bottom of the newsletter.On to other news…🗞️Some of you might be wondering what happened with the Venture Devils pitch that I spoke about in the last newsletter. I wasn’t funded. But that is OK.I first have to give a shout out and thank all of those who helped me revise my pitch. It was awesome how many people took time out of their schedules to review and provide feedback on my project. After a night of reflection (seriously the day after the zoom pitch I changed course), I realized that my message and how I was approaching the business needed a reboot. So I am heading in a new direction and I think that it is going to be great! I will share more as I move forward.The month-long vacation that I had from school was wonderful and certainly needed! It was filled with crazy weather, the tallest Christmas tree I have ever had, watching my sons work for four days to put together the coolest brick build (like Lego - but not the Lego brand) I have ever seen, finishing a fiction novel, and above all sleeping in and spending some quality time with my family.But all good things usually come to an end with the Spring Semester starting this past Monday. Back into the groove again. The beginning of a semester is always so refreshing. Everything seems do-able and nothing seems overwhelming or complicated. While I would like this feeling to continue throughout the semester, I have learned better than to make that particular expectation! Mindset is powerful though…I will will it into being!Dinner Conversations 🍲We have some of the most interesting dinner conversations, which I suppose is what happens with a variety of ages sitting at the table. There is so much that is talked about around a dinner table. In my experience, you do not necessarily need to be “sitting at a table”. It is just a time when everyone is together for a meal (although I’m not sure if breakfast conversations would be as interesting as dinner ones? Something to ponder.) Growing up, dinner time was sacred. We all had our roles in setting the table. There were rules, no music or singing being the one that is the most forward in my mind. And if your fits of contagious laughter could not be controlled you might just end up in the hallway for a little while to calm down.Do you have memories of dinnertime?Tonight, our conversation led to the topic of the Chinese Lunar New Year, which Alexa explained begins on January 22 and 2023 is The Year of the Rabbit 🐇. Of course this led down the rabbit hole 😂 of which Animal we all were around the table. Out came the phone and the searching began. At our table, we had one Pig, one Ox, one Horse, and two Roosters. This led to much laughter and now I finally know who were all the guests at the Emperor’s party.The reflections that I had at the top of the newsletter have me leading down a path of revamping this newsletter a bit. While I am in the planning stages - I just want you to know that I am looking forward to writing this newsletter on a more regular basis in order to get over my fear of perfectionism. As the famous Desmond Tutu quote goes…How does one go about eating an elephant 🐘 ? You eat it one bite at a time.Meaning that I can overcome this fear if I take little steps, have those small wins, see that even if I post something that is not perfect I will still be able to wake up the next day and try again.Keep an eye out for those changes to be happening soon 🙂For now…stay well and smile often!(I’m borrowing this line from a colleague of mine - thanks Steve!)Kouda's News is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.TODAY’S PICKS…what I would share if we were chatting at the water cooler 💦📖  READING …Besides all the articles for school 🙂  I have three books in progress…Strong Mothers, Strong Sons by Meg Meeker, M.D ; Talking to Strangers by Malcom Gladwell ; Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty🎧  LISTENING …Marketplace Podcast…I have been learning about the economy from Kai Rysdal and the crew for over 5 years!🎶  MUSIC …my playlist for January is full of chill Afrobeats that will just about get you out of whatever funk you may be in!▶️. WATCHING …Seth Godin on the Rich Roll podcast has been on repeat whenever I have a chance (you can also find the audio only version here…)📰 DAILY NEWS…The Morning Brew is the only email newsletter I read daily to learn about what is going on the world!Kouda's News is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Life with Debra K at debrakouda.substack.com/subscribe